UMass Dartmouth student charged in fatal Middleboro hit-and-run

MIDDLEBORO — A UMass Dartmouth student has been charged in the death of a 58-year-old Middleboro man in a hit-and-run accident last month, authorities said today.

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Posted Nov. 21, 2013 at 12:15 AM

Posted Nov. 21, 2013 at 12:15 AM

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MIDDLEBORO — A UMass Dartmouth student has been charged in the death of a 58-year-old Middleboro man in a hit-and-run accident last month, authorities said today.

The suspect, Eric Megna, 18, of Middleboro, fled to New Hampshire after the fatal accident and claimed the damage to his vehicle was caused by hitting a deer, according to police and the Plymouth district attorney's office. Megna is charged with leaving the scene of a motor vehicle crash causing death and is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday in Wareham District Court, according to a news release from Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz and Middleboro Police Chief Bruce Gates.

The suspect is charged in the Oct. 11 death of Michael Dutra, 58, a father of two from Middleboro, authorities said.

Megna was returning home from school when he struck the victim on Wood Street, authorities said in the news release.

The suspect fled to New Hampshire, where his family owns a vacation home, and, after spending several days there, reported to New Hampshire State Police he hit a deer on Route 93, authorities said.

He sent a picture of a dead deer to his mother, which she showed to investigators, the release said. Police determined the photograph was taken from the internet and there was no sign of fur or deer remains on Megna's black Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Police recovered parts of Megna's vehicle from an auto body shop that were consistent with the debris found at the scene of the fatal accident.

Police also found that the damage to the SUV is more consistent with striking a person than a deer, authorities said.

Although initial reports indicated that a light-colored vehicle was involved, further investigation determined that the paint transferred to Dutra's clothing upon impact is consistent with the black paint on Megna's vehicle, police said.